This invention relates to the art of diffusing a vaporizable material in a region for air freshening the region and, specifically, for deodorizing, disinfecting or humidifying the region or for other like purposes. The diffusion is affected by an air stream produced by a fan usually driven by a battery. The vaporizable material and the battery are spent at intervals, typically of a month or less and require replacement and this invention has particular relationship to the replacement of this battery and/or material. This invention is disclosed herein as applied to deodorizing, disinfecting or humidifying. This invention is also adaptable to slime, fungus or mildew control by dispersing a liquid or a soluble solid in the medium to be controlled. It is understood that the adaptation of the principles of this invention to other purposes than those disclosed here is within the scope of patentable equivalents of this application or of any patent issuing on or as a result of this application.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,743,406, Steiner-Bajek, is typical of the prior art relating to this invention. Steiner discloses a cartridge 40 (FIG. 3) for an air freshener. The cartridge has a double-walled container, inner wall 46 (FIG. 6) and outer wall 48. A battery 32 is disposed in the well defined by the inner wall and the vaporizable, deodorizing material 37 in the annulus defined between the inner and outer walls. Other prior-art cartridges are similarly structured. The prior-art cartridge disclosed by Steiner and others has the disadvantage that it requires the relatively costly double-walled container and the assembly of this cartridge or replacement of the deodorizing material is complicated and time consuming.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior-art cartridges and to provide a replacable cartridge of simple and low-cost structure lending itself readily to assembly or replacement of parts for deodorizing, disinfecting or humidifying or other like purposes. It is also an object of this invention to provide such a cartridge for apparatus for deodorizing, disinfecting or humidifying, which apparatus has a power supply so that the cartridge does not require a battery. It is also an object of this invention to provide a readily replacable source of vaporizable material of simple structure for use in the replacable cartridge. It is an ancillary object of this invention to provide for controlling the generation of slime, fungus or mildew in a liquid medium by dispersing a liquid controlling agent in the medium.